Inside the Super Bowl — Part 4

Major corporations are making big plays to score with viewers of this year’s Super Bowl game. Advertisers such as Frito-Lay and GoDaddy.com want to blitz audiences with flashy, funny ads hoping to convert them into loyal customers and regular Website visitors.

Last year’s matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears showcased 101 commercials from 44 different brands. For advertisers, the investment of $2.7 million per spot paid off. Nineteen percent of Super Bowl viewers or 26 million went online to get more information about companies that ran commercials and Web traffic for all Super Bowl advertisers went up by more than 50% the day after the game.

CareerBuilder.com had the biggest increase in online hits with a growth rate of 148% and 1.6 million unique visitors the day after the Super Bowl, while Hewlett-Packard had a 74% increase with 1.4 million unique visitors.

Sponsorships are another way to capitalize on the power of the Super Bowl—this option benefits advertisers and the league as well. National Football League Vice President of Corporate Communications Brian McCarthy says, “We look to link ourselves with world-class brands that can help us expand into areas we cannot get into ourselves.”

An example would be Pepsi’s on-pack promotion, giving the NFL exposure in retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, CVS, and other places the beverage is sold. McCarthy says, “We are very selective about the brands we choose to work with and chose only 20 as official sponsors in varying sectors,” including travel (Expedia), technology (IBM), and finance (Bank of America). Contractual specifications on these partnerships were not made available.

For businesses with smaller budgets, there are lesser known opportunities that exist in the areas of event and charity sponsorships during Super Bowl weekend. Below is a partial listing. Check each Website for last minute availability.

*TASTE OF THE NFL (www.tasteofthenfl.com)One chef and one player from each of the NFL’s team cities serve specialty cuisine to raise money for local and national hunger organizations.

“We are providing all of the wines paired with the dishes. We’ll serve our Bridalewood Viognier, which is a blend of honeysuckle and peach blossoms with the NY Jets’ menu of seared salmon and fennel salad. The event helps us reach millennials, who are the largest wine drinking group.” —Kelly Conrad, Spokeswoman, E.J. Gallo Wines

*21st ANNUAL SUPER BOWL BREAKFAST (www.superbowlbreakfast.com)An event that honors an NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home—on the field and in the community. Past recipients include Curtis Martin (NY Jets) and the late Reggie White (Green Bay Packers).